About

Jemicy's Next Head of School

Liz Dover

Dear Members of the Jemicy School Community,

With great enthusiasm and profound confidence, I am thrilled to announce that Elizabeth Dover has been selected as the next Head of Jemicy School, beginning July 1, 2027. Liz will succeed Interim Head of School Tim Hormes, who currently leads the school following the retirement of Ben Shifrin, whose remarkable 24-year tenure steered the school to prominence in educating students with dyslexia or related language-based learning differences.

Liz brings three decades of independent school experience to her leadership, but her connection to the Jemicy School is deeply personal. Liz shared, “Watching Jemicy transform my son, Matthew ’23, from a frustrated child into a resilient, confident learner who knew how to advocate for his neurodiverse mind permanently altered my professional DNA.” This profound experience anchored her career in the unwavering belief that best practices for neurodivergent learners are best practices for all students.

Liz has built a distinguished administrative career in education. She currently serves as Head of Lower School at Holton-Arms, a girls’ school serving grades 3-12 in Bethesda, MD. Her leadership there expanded her institutional scope, allowing her to lead the Lower School while contributing to whole-school strategic priorities, with a steadfast focus on faculty development, student well-being, and curriculum alignment. Prior to Holton-Arms, Liz had a distinguished ten-year tenure as Head of School at The GreenMount School in Baltimore, where she invested in faculty growth and strengthened the school’s financial foundation.

Before her administrative roles, Liz taught middle school for two decades – first in Carroll County Public Schools, and then at The Park School, where she also served as chair of the Science Department.

Liz earned a BA from the University of Delaware and an MS from Johns Hopkins University, where she also attained an Advanced Professional Certificate in Administration and Supervision. She recently served on the Board of the Association of Independent Maryland & DC Schools (AIMS) and chaired the Commission on Accreditation. This past year, Liz chaired the AIMS Accreditation Visiting Committee that evaluated Jemicy, which provided her the unique opportunity to deeply understand the community's authentic self-reflection and strategically engage with the school's future goals.

I am deeply grateful to the Search Committee – Chair Russ White ’84, Jennifer Berman, Jean Brune, Megan McGowan, Michal Sachs, Mark Westervelt, and D’Lisa Worthy – for their commitment and diligence during the interview and selection process; and to the Jemicy administration, faculty, staff, alumni, and parents for their participation, input, and feedback.

I wholeheartedly welcome Liz back to the Jemicy family! Having already been part of the community as a parent, she brings a profoundly personal connection and a passionate commitment to preserving the warm, deeply rooted traditions that make Jemicy so magical, while providing the strategic, financial, and operational expertise necessary to ensure the school remains at the forefront of institutions for students who learn differently.

We have an incredibly bright future ahead. While Liz's career spans broad independent school leadership, her own journey as a Jemicy parent ignited a lifelong dedication to the science and pedagogy of neurodiversity—a commitment she is eager to deepen by listening to, learning from, and partnering closely with our exceptional faculty and staff. Over the coming months, you will have wonderful opportunities to meet Liz in person and welcome her back to campus. She will be collaborating closely with Interim Head of School Tim Hormes to ensure a thoughtful, seamless, and joyous transition as we step into this next chapter together.

Sincerely,

Nate Tower ‘80
Chair, Jemicy School Board of Trustees

The Head of School

SEARCH COMMITTEE

List of 7 items.

Russ White ’84

Trustee since 2020. Current Board Vice President, Search Committee Chair, member of Executive and Trusteeship Committees. Past Development Committee Chair. Member of Alumni Association. Alumni Association President 2016-2018. Recipient of the 2020 Westy Award. Past parent.
Jennifer Spiegel Berman

Trustee since 2024. Member of Search and Trusteeship Committees. Current parent.
Jean Brune

Trustee since 2016. Trusteeship Committee Chair. Member of Development, Executive, and Search Committees. Past member of Welcoming and Belonging and Long Range Plan Implementation Committees. Past chair of the Advisory Board.
Megan McGowan

Faculty and staff member 1995-2025. Positions included Director of Outreach & Professional Learning, Head of Lower & Middle School, Head of Lower School, teacher, and coach.
Michael Sachs

Trustee since 2014. Long-range Plan Implementation Committee Chair. New Building Committee Co-chair. Member of Executive, Finance/Investment, and Search Committees. Current and past parent.
Mark Westervelt

Faculty and staff member 1973-2023. Honorary Trustee since 2023. Positions included teacher, coach, camp director, head of middle school, interim head of school, assistant head of school, and director of alumni relations. Past parent.
D’Lisa Worthy

Trustee since 2019. Welcoming and Belonging Committee Chair. Member of Executive and Search Committees. Past member of Trusteeship Committee and Advisory Board. Past parent.

Meet our Interim Head of School

Tim Hormes

Interim Head of School Tim Hormes has been a valued member of the Jemicy community for 34 years and brings unparalleled knowledge of the school and the admiration of decades of students and colleagues to the position. As of July 1, Tim transitioned from Associate Head of School to his new role and will continue his work on the strategic planning and operational success of Jemicy, with his passion for changing the lives of students with learning differences guiding every decision.

Tim’s Jemicy journey began in 1992 when he was hired as a lacrosse coach (while still playing professional lacrosse), and quickly moved into teaching. Tim shares, “I am filled with extraordinary memories of those early days at Jemicy. While being mentored and trained by some of the best – Steve Wilkins, Mark “Westy” Westervelt, Sue Fegan, Roger Shaw, and Debbie Reed – I realized I had discovered a truly special place.”

In 2001, Tim became Head of Middle School. Along with his new administrative responsibilities, he continued to teach and coach. In an ironic twist of fate, while in that role, his daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia in the 4th grade and came to Jemicy. The Hormes family experienced firsthand how this school changes lives!

Moving to Chief Operating Officer in 2019, Tim demonstrated exceptional leadership navigating the school through the challenges of COVID-19 and managing significant school growth through property acquisitions and major building projects. Promoted to Associate Head of School in 2023, he has played a pivotal role in the completion of the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Family Education Center and will continue to spearhead the completion of the new Upper School building. Tim has also proven to be a valuable asset as we continue to fundraise for the Forge the Future NOW campaign, which supports these two important capital projects.

Throughout his career, he has demonstrated the ability to bring clarity, steadiness, and leadership to every role. As Interim Head of School, Tim is the ideal person to seamlessly lead the transition to the next phase for Jemicy. His dedication to student-centered education that honors each student’s individual journey, celebrates their strengths, and supports them through their challenges is undeniable. With deep appreciation for his unwavering commitment to Jemicy, the entire community is looking forward to the exciting year ahead under Tim Hormes’ leadership.

Search Updates and Communications

We are committed to keeping our community informed every step of the way. Updates, announcements, and opportunities for participation will be shared regularly on this page.